[Sidenote: The foundation of vniuersitie colledge in Oxford.] [Sidenote: An. Reg. 15. 1081.] In like manner, after the foresaid Walkher; one William was created bishop of Durham, who was the originall founder of vniuersitie colledge in Oxford, and by whose assistance, the moonkes gaping both for riches, ease, and possessions, found the means to displace the secular priests of the colledge of Durham, that they might get into their roomes, as they did indeed soone after, to their great gaine and aduantage. But to returne againe to the course of the historie. [Sidenote: An. Reg. 16. 1082] [Sidenote: Odo suspected and banished.] Shortlie after the reuenge of the death of Walkher bishop of Durham, the fornamed bishop Odo, the kings brother was suspected of some vntruth and sinister dealing, wherevpon he was sent as a banished man into Normandie, or rather (as other write) committed to prison, where he remained, not as a clerke, but as a baron of the realme; for he was both bishop and earle of Kent. [Sidenote: An. Reg. 17. 1083.] The king hauing at length obteined some rest from wars, practised by sundrie meanes to inrich his cofers, and therefore raised a tribute through out the whole kingdome; for the better leuieng whereof, he appointed all the subiects of his realme to be numbred, all the cities, townes, villages, and hamlets to be registred, all the abbies, monasteries, and priories to be recorded. Moreouer, he caused a certificat to be taken of euerie mans substance, and what he might dispend by the yeare; he also caused their names to be written which held knights fees, and were bound thereby to serue him in the wars. [Sidenote: Plow land.] Likewise he tooke a note of euerie yoke of oxen, & what number of plow lands, and how manie bondmen were within the realme. This certificat being made & brought vnto him, gaue him full vnderstanding what wealth remained among the English people. Herevpon he raised his tribute, taking six shillings for euerie hide of land through out this realme, which amounted to a great masse of monie when it was all brought togither into his Excheker. [Sidenote: _Geruasius Tilberiensis_. The true definition of a hide of land.] ¶ Here note by the waie, that an hide of land conteineth an hundred acres, and an acre conteineth fortie perches in length, and foure in bredth, the length of a perch is sixtéene foot and an halfe: so that the common acre should make 240. perches; & eight hides or 800. acres is a knights fée, after the best approued writers and plaine demonstration. Those therefore are deceiued, that take an hide of land to conteine twentie acres (as William Lambert hath well noted in his De priscis Anglorum legibus) where he expoundeth the meaning of the old Saxon termes perteining to the lawes.